August 31, 2023

Romans 1: 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (NIV)

The divine power serves . . . to show the folly of atheists, who see there is a heaven and yet say, “There is no God,” who see the effect and yet say, “There is no cause.”*

From the very beginning, Satan has deceived and lied, and blinded humans to the truth of God. When nature itself shouts of the majesty of the Creator, the devil offers an alternative belief. “A being who has no beginning and no end?” he scoffs. “How can you believe in that? The universe has to have been formed some other way.”

Satan’s lie is ironic on two levels. First, in order to discount the story of creation, he has offered an equally unbelievable theory: there was nothing, then there was everything. Gullible people began to believe that, given enough time, anything is possible – except God. While nature is intricate and precise, the devil would have us believe that it operates by random chance.

The second level of irony is that in our blindness to the truth of God, our inborn need to worship has been perverted. Rather than acknowledge and glorify the perfect God, mankind has chosen to deify created and inferior objects. Where God loves us unconditionally and has done everything for us, men devise gods who are amoral, capricious, and demanding. When the urge to worship has been totally subverted, we rely on self, riches, and luck – with no hope beyond life on earth.

God’s people may not have completed their mission to spread the gospel throughout the world, but those lost souls cannot claim ignorance of God - he has made himself known to them (verse 19). But their lack of excuse does not exempt us from fulfilling Jesus’ command to share the saving knowledge of Christ with them. We know what our job is and we are without excuse if we fail to perform it.

He does not say the heathen will be lost if we do not go; He simply says, “Go . . .”*

August 30, 2023

II Kings 2: 9, 10 Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?” “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,” Elisha replied. “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said. (NIV)

No normal, healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did.*

I wonder what Elisha thought he was asking for when he requested a double portion of Elijah’s spirit. Did he want to be twice as good in the prophecy business as Elijah? Did he think Elijah’s spirit was divided into a hundred or so portions and he was merely – humbly - requesting only two of them? Whatever Elisha wanted, it seems that Elijah understood that a double portion of his spirit meant twice the responsibility. As it turns out, the Bible records Elisha performing twice as many miracles as Elijah did.*

A similar scene occurs in the New Testament between Jesus and an ambitious mother. In Matthew, chapter 20, we read about James and John’s mother approaching Jesus with the request that her sons be elevated to right- and left-hand men in his soon-to-be-established kingdom. Jesus told her, “You don’t know what you’re asking.” (verse 22) While Elijah was able to grant Elisha’s request for a double portion of his spirit, Jesus said that the places of prominence next to his throne were not his to bestow. What he could give them, he said, was a life of suffering and service. Not what a proud mom wanted to hear!

There is no scriptural proof that Elisha ever regretted the granting of his request. He led a full and productive life in service to God and king. Have you ever listened to the testimony of a missionary whose hardships seem unbearable – and yet he is more alive and joyful than you? It is the paradox of Jesus’ kingdom that he promises abundant life to those who choose to suffer and serve on his behalf. As Paul reminds us, in Romans 8: 18, what we suffer today is not equally matched with the glory to come.

Want the ride of your life? Ask for a double portion of the Spirit. Get in the short line to become a slave. It’s the only way to greatness!

We seek to find Christ in our vigor; but he often comes to us instead in suffering. We pursue him in success; we find him in defeat. We desire to have him meet us in exaltation; but he is frequently at the end of humiliation. We assume following him will mean gain; he is our Lord in loss. We want him with abundance; but he speaks to us in poverty. We long to be his friend in the resurrection; but in this life, he offers us the cross.*

August 29, 2023

Genesis 41: 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” (NIV)

The call of God is larger than sermons and shepherding.*

My friend’s son was given a special assignment while he was in the Army: he was a chauffer for dignitaries. He got the job because they wanted a clean-cut, non-smoking, non-drinking, drug-free, non-swearing, trustworthy, and mannerly soldier for the position. The competition was slim. The Army didn’t care that the young man was a Christian – only that he acted like one.

Pharaoh was looking for a good right-hand man for his kingdom. With a seven-year famine approaching, Joseph had proven himself valuable as an interpreter of dreams and an organizer of famine-relief – for which he gave God the glory. Pharaoh, who believed in lots of gods, did not mind admitting that the spirit of God got results. And no one in Egypt was as full of the spirit of God as Joseph. Clearly, Pharaoh, like the U. S. Army, saw that a man of God was the right man for the job.

At this point, we might assume that Pharaoh believed in God - but he didn’t worship him. I am not aware of any indication in Scripture or in history that Pharaoh ever acknowledged God as the only God. In this regard, we might think that Joseph failed as a witness for God – but that would be to misunderstand God’s purpose for Joseph. As a man of God, his life was a testimony, but his job was to serve God in a political and historical capacity, not a religious one.

What has God called you to do on behalf of his Kingdom? Do you ever think that you might not be fulfilling his purpose for your life just because your days are spent in secular pursuits? In the words of another writer:  “Joseph didn’t have to preach a sermon or lead a prayer for Pharaoh to see the Spirit of God upon him. He could see it in his character, in his message, in his knowledge, in his wisdom, and in his humility.”* 

You are a testimony when others can see the Spirit of God in you.

We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing – that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment.*

August 28, 2023

Ecclesiastes 3: 15 Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account. (NIV)

Time or age doesn’t necessarily make us any better. Consider that time does nothing but pass away. We sometimes say, “time will tell,” “time will heal,” or “time will bring out the potential in me.” But time will do nothing of the sort! Time will only come and go. It is only how we use time that matters.*

If Solomon had lived in America in the 1960s, he might have been a hippie. Some of his contemplations sound a bit drug-induced. But when I start thinking about time and eternity, it feels like my head is going to explode. It’s not the concept of time without end that I struggle with – it’s the no-beginning part that blows me away! 

Time is not a thing. It is a word without meaning. According to Solomon, the present and the future are all in the past in terms of eternity. The good news is: God is in charge of the whole confusing concept. Solomon doesn’t expound on his thesis, but we can find other passages in Scripture to help us apply his (ahem) timeless principle. Consider: 

· Eternity has no beginning and no end, but time has both: 

      o Beginning: I Corinthians 2: 7; II Timothy 1: 9; Titus 1: 2 

      o End: I Peter 1: 5 

· Time is not predictable: Acts 1: 7; James 4: 14 

· Time has purpose: Ephesians 1: 10 

· Today is fleeting: Hebrews 3: 13 

· Worry won’t change tomorrow, it will only spoil today:  Matthew 6: 34 

· Jesus is Lord of time: Hebrews 13: 8 

When Solomon says that today is yesterday and the future is the past, he speaks truth. It may be incomprehensible but he leaves us with an encouraging thought that puts it all into perspective: God will deal with it. After all, “Who of you by worrying can add one hour to your life?” (Matthew 6: 27)

Leave the broken, irreversible past in his hands, and step out into the invincible future with him.*

August 27, 2023

Matthew 5: 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” (NIV)

Disciples, if they are true to their calling, make the earth a purer and more palatable place.*

In Jesus’ day, salt was a valuable commodity. It had – and still does have – many uses. When he said that we, his followers, are the salt of the earth, to which of its applications did he refer? Maybe he didn’t limit himself to just one. As a preservative, as a vehicle of wealth, as a necessity for the proper functioning of the human body, as a means of making the lost thirsty for the gospel – a case could be made for any of them. But how about as seasoning?

As Bob Russell says, “Salt doesn’t get much credit. No one gets up from the table, licking their lips and raving, ‘That was the best salt I’ve ever tasted!’”* But what if the cook neglected to salt the food? You may not notice the salt when it is properly applied, but you sure know when it’s missing. Is that what Jesus meant about our presence in the world? When we share the gospel – when we live the gospel – we add seasoning to an unpalatable world. Just as salt is not supposed to be the centerpiece of the meal, we are not to call attention to ourselves – but the world should surely notice if we went missing.

But here’s the thing: salt can’t do its thing if it stays in the salt-shaker. In order for us to be a preservative, a thirst-enhancer, or seasoning, we have to be in the world. We can’t hunker down in our church buildings, isolated from lost people, and expect to make a difference in their lives.

Be salty, my friends!

When we isolate ourselves from sinners, we lose the ability to connect with them on any level.*

August 26, 2023

Luke 24: 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. (NIV)

Knowing God . . . does not consist merely of having heard of him, or having read his word, or having been associated with God-fearing people.*

My husband and I didn’t have the same last name. This caused some confusion when people were first getting to know us. It led to some interesting moments in our jobs, too - mine in the Supervisor of Elections Office, and his as City Manager, because some City Commission candidates ran on the platform that they were going to fire the City Manager. I was helping one such candidate with his filing papers when he held up one of his petition cards, leaned in conspiratorially, and said, “Hee hee. I ought to get Mark Durbin’s wife to sign one of these.” I looked at him for a moment before I said, “Uh . . . that would be me.”

Jesus came upon two men who were walking and talking along the road. “What are you talking about?” he asks them. “Do you live in a cave?” they asked. Well, no, they didn’t actually say that. But they couldn’t believe that their new companion hadn’t heard about all the excitement surrounding Jesus of Nazareth. After listening to them go on about all that had happened to this man, Jesus said, “Uh . . . that would be me.” 

Do you suppose Jesus was frustrated that he had to start from the very beginning in order to explain who he was? For two people who seemed to know all of the details of his life, death, and empty tomb, these guys were pretty ignorant of their traveling companion's true identity.

What about you? Do you know who Jesus is? How do you know? Do you just know what others say about him, or have you met him along the road of your life? If you need a reminder, why not start at the beginning to verify his credentials for yourself. Read the writings of Moses and the Prophets and see how all their predictions about the Messiah came true in Jesus of Nazareth. Read the eye-witness accounts in the Gospels and the Book of Acts. Trust him with your life and see if he keeps his promises. Then your life will become a testimony to who Jesus really is.

Our faith is founded on good history, fulfilled prophecy, and the testimony of thousands upon thousands of transformed lives.*

August 25, 2023

Isaiah 1: 16, 17 “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” (NIV)

All change is hard, but every change God requires is possible. By the grace of God, you can change.*

You can’t teach an old dog new tricks, so they say. Well, they might be wrong - and people aren’t dogs. When God says to stop doing wrong and learn to do right, he doesn’t make accommodations for the age of the person. Old or young, if he commands it, it can be done! No excuses. 

In this passage, we find a principle reiterated by Jesus in his ministry and Paul in his letters: cease the bad stuff; start doing the good stuff. If you really want to replace your sinful habits with behavior that glorifies God, the world is full of opportunities. Your church is a great resource for chances to serve and contribute. Here are some other ideas: 

· Seek justice: volunteer as a Guardian ad litem; contribute to IJM (International Justice Mission); participate in a prison ministry. 

· Encourage the oppressed: contribute to Voices of the Martyrs; volunteer at a women’s shelter. 

· Defend the cause of the fatherless: support a foster care ministry – or become a foster parent; sign up to be a Big Brother or Big Sister. 

· Plead the case of the widow: Not all widows are elderly – and not all widows are women (they’re just called widowers), but most could use help with yardwork, car maintenance or repairs; a friend to go to lunch with or sit with in church; or someone to check on them every week (call, text, email - not very time-consuming but very encouraging). 

If you want to stop doing wrong, look for ways that you can do right. God commands it!

Regardless of your age and stage, you have unique opportunities to serve the Lord.*

August 24, 2023

Luke 14: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.” (NIV)

What seems right and reasonable to human beings is often totally out of harmony with God’s ways.*

I have always been a little uncomfortable with this statement by Jesus. We’re not supposed to hate anyone and yet here he tells us to hate the very ones we should love the most. I recently heard it suggested that perhaps Jesus meant we should prefer him over others rather than hate them. Well, that made me feel a bit better – until the Holy Spirit gave me a nudge. “Don’t buy it,” he said. “Jesus says what he means.”

To say that Jesus meant for us to love others less than we love him is to dilute his true meaning. We think of hate in terms of wishing for – even causing – bad things to happen to the person we hate. That’s certainly not a Christlike attitude. But this is still more than a matter of loving Jesus so much that what we feel for others looks like hate in comparison. What Jesus wants from his followers is complete loyalty – to the point of turning our backs on everyone else.

I read a story that illustrates the point. I don't remember the details but it was a melodramatic tale of a young woman who refused to testify to a lie – not even for the sake of her sister’s life. Wouldn't most of us, if placed in that position, reason that the sister’s well-being was more important than the truth? 

You see, the biggest obstacles to loving Jesus completely are not bad things but good ones. Family, friends, world peace – we must hate these things if they come between us and Jesus.  In the words of another: “The greatest threat to the best often comes from second best.”*

The more precious to me something is, the more I should commit it to God rather than clinging to it myself.*

August 23, 2023

Ecclesiastes 1: 2, 3 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? (NIV)

What matters to God must matter to us.*

When my husband learned that his pancreatic cancer was terminal, he became a "lame duck" in life. Suddenly, most of his usual pursuits were meaningless. As I watched him giving up on one interest and activity after another, I wondered, “What was the point of it all in the first place?”

But this is not about agreeing with Solomon's ponderings about the meaninglessness of life. It’s about discovering what is meaningful and lasting. After my husband’s diagnosis, he  received hundreds of cards, letters, emails, texts, and visits from people who were touched by something he said or did. Whether in his profession, his family, or his involvement in the church, no part of his life was separate from his love of God. His impact for the Kingdom is a lasting one. 

Don't be discouraged if your impact seems insignificant. Even our small offerings have eternal consequences. That, my friends, is not meaningless.

Service is a natural byproduct of a faithful life.*

August 22, 2023

Matthew 5: 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (NIV)

You give us healing and grace our hearts always hunger for.*

Pica is an eating disorder in which a person craves and eats non-food items, such as dirt, hair, paper, or paint chips. The condition is often caused by a nutrient deficiency. Besides the risk of ingesting toxic substances, a person with pica fills up on products that don’t have the nutritional value that the body needs to perform properly.

Are you suffering from a case of spiritual pica? What fulfills your most intense cravings? Money? Power? Attention? Significance? If you aren’t hungering and thirsting for righteousness, you will never be satisfied. Your empty calories might make you feel full but you will not grow or function in a healthy manner.

The two lines of defense against physical pica can also be applied to the treatment of spiritual pica:

1. Correct the nutrient deficiency. Pica patients are given food or supplements containing the minerals or nutrients their bodies are lacking. For a case of spiritual pica, feeding on God’s word can cure an unwholesome craving. 

2. Behavioral intervention. Eating the right things is an effective treatment for the physical condition but a person with pica might also have to unlearn some bad habits. Spiritual behavioral intervention also involves replacing the bad behavior with a good one. Eating properly (feeding on the word) provides the nutrition (spiritual guidance) we need to pursue a life of righteousness instead of a life of meaningless pursuits.

When we learn to hunger and thirst for righteousness, we will always be satisfied.

When we fill ourselves with the Word of God, ungodliness is vacated from the premises.*